The Devil’s in the Details: The Tradeoff between Detail and Abandonment in Online Reviews

The Devil’s in the Details: The Tradeoff between Detail and Abandonment in Online Reviews

Abstract: Online review platforms face a critical tradeoff: while detailed review formats generate richer and more informative feedback on the single review-level, they can also increase abandonment rates, which may vary by review type and distort the representativeness of reviews. We investigate this tradeoff using a multimethod approach that includes proprietary data which contains both published and abandoned reviews, surveys, text analysis, simulations, and a field study. Our findings reveal that only one in six initiated reviews is completed, and that indeed abandonment rates are biased — with negative reviews being 65% more likely to be abandoned than positive ones. Key drivers of abandonment include perceived effort in writing the review and concerns over exposure and data vulnerability. This effect exacerbates the positivity bias in the rating distribution. In terms of managerial implications — a field experiment confirms that a reduction of review complexity does increase review completion rates. These findings have important implications for platform design and marketing strategy highlighting the need for a balanced approach that optimizes both review volume and informativeness while mitigating bias.

More information on Prof. Andreas Bayerl can be found here.

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